Belief
by heartsmash
Summary: The next time Jake and Peyton meet it revolves around tragedy. Entry for a challenge at OTH Writers 911.


**Title: Belief**

**Author: Kat (heartsmash)**

**Rating: R**

**Summary: Named for Gavin DeGraw's song with the same title and written for OTH Writers 911 Challenge regarding the next time that Jake and Peyton meet.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from One Tree Hill. I only own the story. **

_Tonight, you arrested my mind when you came to my defense  
With a knife in the shape of your mouth, In the form of your body_

_With the wrath of a god  
Oh, you stood by me_

_And I'll stand by my belief_

**November 16, 2018**

It was nearing 5 o'clock by the time that she arrived at the cemetery. She had caught a red-eye out of LAX in order to make it back to North Carolina. Peyton truly had Lucas to thank as he had relayed the tragic news and it made her see that she was needed back in Tree Hill for a while.

Twelve years had passed since she had been back to her hometown. At the end of high school, California had provided college education for her as well as a job working as an artist for a well-known magazine. She was happy there – she had created a life for herself and was not dependent on anyone. It had been even longer since the last time she had seen Jake Jagielski. But now, she had returned to Tree Hill to be by his side.

Following directions from the caretaker who Peyton had spotted at the front gates gave her, she followed them and found herself parking on one of the small streets within the cemetery's reach. She spotted Jake standing there in a long, black overcoat, a somber expression on his face. Peyton got out of the car and made her way to where he stood. The noise that her footsteps made in the frosty grass alerted him to her presence. He looked surprised to see her – she surmised that Lucas had not mentioned that she would be showing up.

"Hey," she said quietly, coming to stand near him.

"Hi," he replied, glancing at her quickly before returning his gaze back to the gravesite in front of them.

"I'm sorry."

"Thanks."

Jake's father, Ben, had passed away suddenly from a heart attack. It had been quite a shock – Mr. Jagielski had always been a healthy man, so it was no wonder that bother Jake and Lynne, Jake's mother, were having a hard time coping with the suddenness of the tragedy.

"I stopped by your house first. Your cousin, Beth, told me you were still here."

"I haven't been able to bring myself to leave him…the cemetery."

Peyton sensed that Jake was nearing his breaking point and that it was best to get him someplace other than here.

"Jake, he knows you loved him. And he loved you. You were the best son – good grades, athletic…"

"Better add teenage father to that list of attributes. I screwed up Peyton – I let him down and he never forgot."

"Stop thinking that!" Peyton cried, immediately lowering the volume of her voice. "You gave him a granddaughter. It's something that you can't think badly of Jake. Jenny got to know her grandfather. Isn't that worth something?"

He nodded, staring intently at his dress shoes.

"What do you say we get out of here? We can go get something to eat, talk."

"I'd like that."

Instead of staying in Tree Hill to eat, Peyton drove Jake and herself to the next town over. She figured a small town like Tree Hill everyone in the restaurant at the same time as them would yield expressing their sympathy to Jake while they dined and it would not make Jake feel any better.

The menus at the diner she chose were sticky, but in her mind, it was half the charm. A woman in what Peyton guessed to be her early fifties with a nametag that read Paulette took their orders and left them alone to sip on water and talk quietly.

"So, save for the past week, how are things going? What are you and Jenny up to?"

"Same old stuff – Jenny's in middle school now so it's all who's taking who to the grade dance and what's the right stuff to buy for school supplies. It's a whole different world than what I remember."

"No, I totally remember wanting the pretty Trapper Keeper and the cool pencils. My dad thought I was nuts," Peyton said, smiling at Jake.

Her memories finally got him to smile which made her happy. Their food arrived and they both ate quietly. But Peyton was just glad that she had gotten him to eat – due to him having stayed so long at the cemetery earlier in the day had prevented him from doing so. She remembered when her mom had died her dad had to cajole her into eating and finally upon doing so, she had felt better. When they finished eating Peyton asked him what he wanted to do.

"I guess I should head home. My mom must be worried. I haven't seen her since this afternoon."

"Good point," Peyton said asking Paulette for the check as she passed by. Jake reached for his wallet but Peyton was able to convince him to let her pay for their meal. He conceded and after she paid, followed her out to the rental Prius.

"Whatever happened to the Thunderbird convertible?"

"It's sitting in the garage. I couldn't bring it to San Diego so it was leave it here or sell it. I just couldn't part with it."

"I'm glad you didn't. That car is like a part of you. I think Peyton, I think that car playing the Scissor Sisters or Pink Floyd blaring from the speakers."

Peyton wasn't really sure what he meant by "think." Did he still think about her? There was no way of finding out that information without asking him directly and she was not going to embarrass herself by doing that. So she just found a radio station that was acceptable before driving him into the direction of his childhood home.

There was no traffic getting back to Tree Hill, so within twenty minutes she was pulling to the curb in front of his house. But he didn't move. He made no motion to open the door or anythinmg. She didn't want to pry but she wasn't sure what he was thinking.

"Jake," she said softly and he turned to look at her

His eyes held so much sadness and he just looked world-weary. It reminded her a lot of the last time that she had seen him. That had been in Savannah, when she unknowingly had revealed her feelings for Lucas and had broken his heart. That night had divided them until now.

"I can't…" he said to her, letting his sentence trail before completing the thought.

She took his hand in hers, hoping to imbue some of her strength into him when he needed it most.

"Can't what?"

"I can't go in there. I can't stay in my house tonight. My mom will be crying and so will most of the family that's staying with us. There's too many memories. I won't survive in there."

There were no words to comfort him. How could she comfort him when she had lost touch of who 'adult' Jake was?

"I didn't get a hotel room because I am staying at my house. It's not much but you can stay there."

She didn't mention that her father was dredging in Maryland, knowing that to say the 'd' word would be pouring salt into a fresh wound.

"That sounds great. Thanks Peyton."

With those words, she shifted the car into drive and drove to her house.

Once they got to the Sawyer household, Jake called his house and spoke to his mother. It made him more mournful that he had been prior to the phone call. Peyton let him be, giving him her bed and told him that she would sleep in her dad's room.

Four a.m. rolled around but she couldn't sleep. Peyton just stared at the alarm clock and watched the minutes tick by. She wondered about Jake and how he felt about her being here after all this time. He hadn't mentioned a significant other and she had not seen a ring, so she was pretty positive that he was not involved with someone. Furthermore, she would have expected a woman in his life to be by his side during this difficult time.

He had told her that night in Savannah that if fate wanted them to be together, someday it would happen. Was this someday? Had tragedy yielded to the winds of fate? As if he had heard her thoughts, Jake knocked on the door.

"Hey, can't sleep?" she asked, sitting up in the bed

"Something like that."

"Do you want to talk?"

"What happened to us?" he questioned suddenly

His question nearly sucked the air of her lungs.

"I mean, I know I should be thinking about the fact that I buried my father day but I can't stop thinking about you and me."

"Yeah, I get what you're saying."

"I mean, Pey – twelve years? Nothing between us for that much time and now, I see you and I can't help but feel everything I felt back in high school."

"Wow," was all she could reply with.

"Oh jeez," he said scrubbing his face with his hand, "You don't feel the same way. Boy do I feel stupid. I know I should have just kept my mouth shut but…"

And then Peyton did the last thing either of them expected. She moved into his embrace, her hands coming around his waist as her lips found his. Much like their first ever kiss Jake was shocked at first but quickly pulled her body closer to his, his mouth relearning the feel and taste of her in his arms.

She melded against him. Not thinking. Not letting herself think. Nothing else mattered in this moment except being as close to him as possible.

The past twelve years had done nothing to decrease the passion and desire that had always existed between them.

Her hands moved desperately, pulling the white wife beater that he wore off of him. They moved carelessly backwards, towards the bed.

"Pey…" Jake mumbled, trying to catch up with her. He wanted her. He always wanted her to be his, but this was crazy.

She fell back onto the bed, pulling him down on top of her.

"Peyton," he said again.

She leaned up and kissed him again. "Let's not talk anymore," she whispered quietly.

He didn't need any further encouragement.

_Fin_


End file.
